Haiku

Blossoms fade.
Birds fly south.
Summer will soon be taking a hike.

Haha. I'm not a poet by any stretch of the imagination.  The most I can muster is three little measly lines of Haiku.

But I DO love this bag (picked up at my local camera shop) for my latest camera acquisition - a Nikon D700!! Finally, I now have a new (well, it's used, but new to me) full frame camera. I'm going to be giving it a good test run this weekend.

This week I'm also determined to figure out how to shoot with the medium format Mamiya, without fail.

All You Need Is.....

In the evenings, after dinner, we've been eager to get out and walk the neighborhood - unheard of in the middle of August in our neck of the woods. Usually the heat is so oppressive at this time of year that just the thought of going outside for more than a few minutes makes me feel faint. I can't believe it's this mild in the middle of August. But we'll take it!

The developer of our condo provides a limited number of modest garden plots to residents. We had one for about a year right after we moved in. It was conveniently located within a reasonable walk from our front door. We spent quite a bit of time preparing the soil (boo to red clay) and planting herbs and veggies.

But out of the clear the developer decided to move the plots. On a steep hill. By the River. With a lot less sun. So after reworking the soil again and planting herbs and a few vegetables again, all we got was a lot of leaves and tiny or no fruit. After a year of that we decided to hang it up. I don't mind the work a garden takes - in fact, I really love it. But I want to reap some fruits for our labor. And with our schedules, a garden has to be convenient. But it was fun while it lasted.

When we take a stroll through the neighborhood we love to check out how the gardens are doing. Some plots have lovely flower beds, some have been let to grow wild with lanky weeds and forgotten plantings. Some are beautifully decorated with ornaments, gray stone paths, or mini brick retaining walls.

Some plants are starting to fade a bit. Just one more lovely cycle of the growing season. But everything is still trying to grow like mad. No doubt all the rain we've had this summer helped.

Dragon Boat Festival

As usual, the Dragon Boat Festival and race at Rockett's Landing was a great success, even with the hour of severe weather that popped up in the middle of it all that blew things into a crazy mess. My thoughts are with the folks throughout our area who suffered from damage or loss.

We had a lot of activities going on in Richmond on Sat, and that short, nasty storm really tried to put a stop to it all. Not. Not for every event, anyway.

The Dragon Boat race on the James River continued after the storm passed. You can't keep a bunch of dedicated competitors down! The skies cleared and the sunset was ravishing.

Oh, and this dish was a great success yesterday. It didn't turn out quite as lovely as the version posted by the talented chef who created it. My crust was a little...um...floppier, but I managed to make it look presentable after putting it all together and baking it. And the taste - the most important part - oh my, my, my was it yummy. I plan to make it again REAL soon.

Hello, it's me.

Hope you're all having a super weekend. We're watching the Dragon Boat Festival on the James River from our balcony.

Of course the horse has nothing to do with the festival, but I think that eye reflection is so cool, and being near the water with all the reflections made me think of this shot. Spent the day at a farm not long ago and had the best time photographing it all - not just the obvious things (like reflections in a horse's eye :), but also tiny vignettes tucked in corners all over the place.

I'm attempting to make Burst Tomato Galette with Corn and Zucchini for dinner tonight (with roasted chicken). Looks delicious and hope I do it justice. I'm a little nervous about the crust, truth be told! A full report later!

Oh, does my a** look wide in that reflection? No? I didn't think so.

Breakfast

I make this for breakfast a lot after working out in the morning. So good, quick and satisfying.

Drizzle a little olive oil on a slice of hardy bread and sprinkle it lightly with kosher salt.
Broil in the oven on one side until golden. Remove from oven and let sit for a minute or so.
Spread ricotta cheese on the toasted side.
Top cheese with a variety of chopped herbs and sliced Kalamata olives.

I prefer to use goat cheese, but at the time I only had ricotta on hand and it was still yummy.  I also switch up the herbs a lot, using whatever I have on hand (which is sometimes just one herb).

This is good in lots of different ways. Instead of olives I sometimes top with halved grape tomatoes that have been quickly sauteed in a few drops of olive oil over high heat. Or, another favorite if I've got a sweet tooth going on is to leave off the herbs and top the cheese with warm peaches (leave on the skin, slice, and saute for a few minutes in a tablespoon of water, teaspoon or so of honey, and a few whole cloves - just long enough to give the peaches a nice glaze, maybe 3-4 minutes - let cool a bit, remove cloves, and add to top of the cheese).

I have to admit, I miss the tiny garden we tended in the backyard of our previous suburban home.  Just a modest bounty with mostly herbs and a tiny collection of vegetables. Nothing beats fresh picked herbs and foods for simple and delicious day-to-day cooking. I miss trekking out to that little plot and collecting super fresh ingredients for a meal.

Not saying I don't love my condo life. I can't imagine living any other way now. But we sure do miss that little garden at this time of year!

Our balcony doesn't get enough sun to grow much - goodness knows I've tried!

Hooray for farmer's markets and well stocked grocery stores!

GASP!

"Hey Flo, I heard through the grapevine that Nellie laid an egg OUTSIDE of the coop!!!"

"Oh Myrtle, quit gossiping! There's no evidence of that!"

Rustic Baked Eggs

Last Sunday morning I made "Rustic Baked Eggs" - a recipe I jotted down a long time ago. It was scribbled on the back of a torn piece of paper and dropped in a stack of recipes that I've collected over the years.

I was looking for something that would use the ton of fresh herbs we have in the fridge, and this looked good and easy. Although next time I make it I'll use twice the amount of herbs it called for.

As I was getting ready to cook, I realized that the ingredients called for chopped Kalamata olives, but my hand-written recipe didn't indicate when they should be added. So I sprinkled them on top of the dish (pushed them down into the mix a little) as the last step before the final broiling. Cooking is all about improvising, no matter how small it might be!

Rustic Baked Eggs

2 Tbl full fat milk
2 Tbl heavy cream
5 Eggs
2 Tbl olive oil
1 minced clove garlic
4-5 Tbl chopped mix of fresh herbs, or to taste
Feta cheese, crumbled
Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper (to taste - cheese and olives add saltiness so I went VERY light on salt)

In a small bowl combine olive oil, herbs, and garlic, set aside.
In a separate dish crack the eggs.
Put butter and cream in a shallow broiler proof dish. Sprinkle with salt.
Place milk mixture dish under preheated broiler and cook until bubbly (5 minutes or so).
Remove the pan from the broiler and immediately but gently drop in eggs one at a time equally around the top of the bubbling mix. Carefull not to break the yolks. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper.
Drop the herb mix on top of the eggs and spread around (careful not to break a yolk, like I did).
Sprinkle the cheese and olives on the top.
Broil until eggs are done to your liking - I went for 5 minutes but to me the eggs were too done so next time I'll reduce the cooking time.

We ate it with toasted, grainy bread (we love "Harvest" loaves from Whole Foods) and our favorite morning beverage, cappuccino.

It was DELICIOUS.

There are a ton of recipes for baked eggs on the web.

Here's a similar recipe from Ina Garten that's cooked in individual gratin dishes, which I really like. But she doesn't use Feta or olives, which to me make the dish, so I'd add them for sure.

Here's another, which looks almost the same as the recipe I have.

RVA Under Siege

On Sunday afternoon a fierce, windy storm marched through the area. It retreated as almost as quickly as it started.

Simple

This week I made an easy recipe from Real Simple magazine that I think you'll love as much as we did - Linguine with Summer Vegetables and Goat Cheese. I'm addicted to creamy, sharp goat cheese and have been putting it on practically everything lately.

I can't pass by the cookbook section of any store without stopping for a quick peek at the newest publications. The other day I picked up "It's All Good", and I'm excited to make a meal this weekend with two recipes - Perfect Herbed Grilled Chicken, and, Mango & Avocado Salad with Balsamic-Lime Vinaigrette.

I don't buy many cookbooks anymore (I already have way too many, and, I only have SO much room in our tiny condo :), so before I bought it I spent a good 15 minutes reading it to be sure it would meet my needs, and it did...

The ingredients were mostly fresh and easily accessible at the grocery store.

There ingredient lists weren't too long.

The recipes weren't too complicated.

The recipes were healthy. 

From this book I've already tried for breakfast - An Olive Oil Fried Egg. So easy and good.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 organic egg

Coarse Sea Salt

Heat the olive oil in a small nonstick skillet over high heat. Have a lid for the pan at the ready. Have the salt crock within reaching distance.

Crack the egg into a small bowl (I found it easier to slip the egg into the hot skillet from the bowl rather than fumbling with cracking the eggs directly into the skillet - I cook two eggs at a time)

Slide the egg into the hot oil.

Immediately sprinkle on salt and cover with the lid.

It's going to crackle and sputter loudly beneath that lid, but that's OK. No peeking allowed (seriously, don't lift the lid because it's really popping in there).

Let it cook one minute. Yes, just one minute. A few seconds more and you'll get a semi-solid yolk.

Turn off the heat and let it calm down in there for a few seconds.

Immediately remove egg.

You can serve the eggs over any good left over base from last night's dinner - stir-fried veggies or quinoa (both recommended in the recipe). I think grilled veggies would be good.

Not having left overs that would work, I slipped the eggs over a patty of freshly made loose grits before sprinkling it all with cracked pepper.

Just around the edges of the egg is a crisp skirt which adds a wonderful crunch here and there. The yolk is creamy and lusciously dip-able, perfect for dunking a chuck of toasted nutty bread into.

Add a cup of cappuccino. Call it a morning.

Simplicity and good food. That's what cooking is all about for me.

Fresh

Summer! Fresh foods!

At our table over the 4th of July holiday...

French lentil salad (lentils, parsley, chives, baby spinach, carrot greens, shallots) topped with grilled whole carrots and Horseradish Greek yogurt sauce.

Raw Kale and Swiss Chard Salad.

This with some left over Swiss chard.

Watermelon and Ginger limeade.

So, so very good!

Snort

Why is it that guys always turn the volume up on the TV to an ear crushing decibel when they're attempting to watch sports and run on the treadmill at the same time at the small gym where I work out?

Sometimes they turn up the volume and then get into a loud conversation with someone on the treadmill next door after which they barely pay attention to the TV. In fact, they then end up in direct competition with the TV regarding the noise level and they miss the game. What's up with that? I've seen it happen time and time again.

I mean, really, does the sound even have to be up at all when watching sports? Everything you need to know about the game is happening on screen and you never really even have to listen to it, do you?  It's not like watching a movie, a DIY project, the news, or some other program that must be heard. 

I'm sure a lot of you guys out there in virtual land are snorting about the last comment. 

Snort on. You know it's true. :)

Family

Congratulations to my niece - she gave birth to a sweet baby girl!

This photo was taken a few years ago. She's a momma now!

Happy Easter!

How sweet it is, rain and all!

The hubs made a yummy brunch - Crispy Coated Orange French Toast and Bacon-Asparagus Strata. OMG good.

A day to relax! I did actually workout this morning - sure didn't feel like it. To make up for it I plan to spend some of this afternoon doing absolutely nothing but watching a movie and eating more strata (thus consuming a gazillion more calories than I burned today during the workout).

Hope you all are having a beautiful day!

Really?

Winter is clinging tenaciously!

Tuesday we had 70 degree weather and sun.

This morning we had delicate snow flurries (short lived) and it's frigid - max high of 41 degrees today!

Mother Nature is so volatile in March.

A real spring. Real soon. Until then, a few more tulips to shake off the cold and keep me thinking of warmer weather.

Poached

Late at night you'll find me throwing together breakfast and lunch for work the next day. Thinking of anything more complex than cereal to take for the morning meal makes me want to run from the kitchen screaming.

But on weekends it's all about good food. I often cook a big meal for breakfast - bacon and eggs and toast from whatever bread we have on hand. Sometimes I'll whip up whole grain pancakes or fried potatoes if we've got a baked one left over from yesterday's dinner. I usually add a side of fresh fruit to round it out. Just simple, good food that'll stick to my ribs until dinner comes around.

I tried my hand at poached eggs recently in an effort to "lighten up" breakfast. I'm not enamored with the cumbersome process of delicately dropping the egg into a swirling pot of not-quite-simmering-water so that the twirl catches the egg white and wraps it around the yolk just right while it's cooking. And then there's the perfect 3 minute timing required for the best yolkie goodness. But I do love the taste results. Delicious, and much lighter than frying (which is my usual method - in bacon grease if I've cooked it - that's the way my mom and grandmother did it...don't judge:).

And whatever you do, don't judge these eggs based on shape. It's my first attempt! They're certainly not the lovely smooth round cloud-like poached creations that are served up in restaurants (or even by someone who knows what they're doing), but they were done perfectly - rich, creamy yolk and a solid white. Pretty good!

They Say Spring

We had 70 degree weather today. And snow less than a week ago! After today I'm not thinking about snow or cold weather for a long time!

Now I'm thinking about spring, my favorite season.

I'm loving warmer breezes, longer days, and anticipating fluffy blooming pear trees (soon).

I'm thinking of Easter, lighter clothing, and eating in-season fruits and veggies like greens, tender spring onions, snap peas and lettuces.

I'm ready for blankets to be put away, heat to be turned off, and wide open windows early in the morning.

I'm looking forward to dining alfresco on the balcony with wine and a board thickly layered with hard and pungent cheeses, shiny black olives, thinly sliced charcuterie from Belmont Butchery, and a crusty loaf of bread. Yum!

I picked up fresh tulips last weekend from the local grocery. They were dirt cheap so I landed three big bunches and placed several vases around the condo.  Nothing says spring like tulips!

Snow Revisited

I was so smitten with the quick and furious snow we got recently that I wanted to extend the (visual) excitement for just a little while longer - especially since its been close to 50 degrees over the last couple of days.

Love this collection of NYC's Grand Central Terminal.

March Madness

No, not that kind of March Madness.

We're having a blizzard today! We don't see much snow in these parts, but when it does snow it's not uncommon for it to happen in March.

The last hurrah for bad weather (if you want to call it that - I'm half tempted to put on winter clothing and take a photo walk). Mother Nature is cleansing the palette to make way for spring.

In a few weeks we'll be enjoying a rush of daffodils (have already seen a few of these), trees exploding with new buds (seen many of these too), and fresh lime green foliage popping up all over.

Until then, I love this view from my condo balcony today!

Photo Walk

On Sat I spent some time at a local farm with my digital and film cameras. What a great day.

We got there early in the morning. It was cold and the overcast sky covered everything with a gray haze. My favorite kind of light and weather to shoot in. I was bundled up with many layers. Had on my lucky hat (the one I wore to Italy in 1998) and camera gloves (the top of the glove folds back off the tips of my fingers so I can easily adjust my camera settings). I could have stayed there all day.

Can you believe daylight savings begins on Mar 10?  I've seen more and more light in the sky over the last three weeks as I leave the office at 6:30 - so the days are getting longer. Soon, we'll be feeling the sweet warmth of spring.

These are all digital images. Still have a few shots left to take on the film camera - I'm trying out fresh film this time rather than expired. Can't wait to get them developed.